The TWIG project

Well now, hello to you all. You doing OK today? Good, good, me too. This morning I was casting around for something to post about today, umming and ahhing over subject matter. I pondered chatting more about housework and my recent discovery of the FLY lady (thanks Amanda), or perhaps I could talk Soup Recipes? Or possibly I could get away with bombarding you with more crochet hexagons which I cannot stop photographing? Or maybe even show you my new fabric stash which arrived through the post a few weeks ago?
But then I suddenly remembered The TWIGS. Remember way-back-when in the depths of the Summer holidays, I took the Little People out in the rain to gather soggy twigs from the woods?
Do you recall me talking about the Mysterious Twig Project I was working on??
Wanna see it?
Yeah?
You sure?
Oh, well go on then, let me tell you the story of the DAMNED HARDEST PROJECT EVER INVENTED.

Here is my small, ancient fabric stash, well the patterned bit of it anyhow :: I also have a box of blindingly coloured plain cottons. Back in my dim distant past pre-Little-People, I was a working textile artist and amongst other things, I used to make a lot of hand made greetings cards. And when I say a lot, I do mean thousands. The above fabrics used to be cut into tiny pieces to make miniature appliqued and embroidered motifs for my cards, and this collection is what I have left. Once I reached eight months pregnant and could no longer sit my huuuuge belly in front of a sewing machine to fulfil orders, I wound down my little business, packed up all my materials into a cupboard and my work room was hurriedly transformed into a baby's room.

That was in 2002 and I since then I have done very little in the way of sewing. Every so often, I get inspired to stitch, get the urge to have a play with fabric, ribbons, buttons. I've stitched the odd gift, and made a few bits and pieces. I wait for Inspiration to strike. Inspiration needs to strike me pretty damn hard these days, and back in August there it suddenly was :: Bang! The most perfect little decorative sewing project!

One of the many things I love about visiting Blogland and Flickrville, is the thing I call the Chain-of-Influence. You know when you see something creative that someone else has done, and you follow a link to a pattern or website, and then you get all excited for giving it a go yourself. And you discover that quite a few others are also doing the very same thing, and then lots of different variations of the same project all get created and shared, and then they in turn inspire more people to give it a go. A chain of creativity and linked ideas. It's great isn't it?
So this is how the Chain of Inspiration went ::
The Yvestown Blog :: Spool Sewing :: Flickr :: Attic 24

This is the story of The Bird Mobile AKA The Twig Project AKA The Damned Hardest Project Ever Invented.

I could not wait to do this project, I was so excited for it. A bird mobile! How delightful! How beautifully simple! How Creative! And Decorative!

I made four birdies in one afternoon.

Cut them out in a frenzy of activity, stitched them as fast as I could because I could not wait to stuff them and see them all sitting prettily in a row.

The Little People adored these birds. I had to snatch them back on numerous occasions, especially from Little Lady who wanted to take them to bed with her. All four of them.

I declare they are not toys and must remain in the Attic to be Attached to Twigs and made into the perfect mobile. Just like the clever people at Spool Sewing had done.
And here my friends is where it starts to go pear shaped.

I paint the twigs white.
I try to do as the Spool People said and stitch the birds to the twigs.
It is devilishly difficult and I decide they must be glued on instead.
But how to position them so they balance?
How to get the twigs to all stay horizontal and provide a series of perfectly balanced perches for my birds?
It is IMPOSSIBLY HARD to make a well balanced mobile.
There is lots of cursing.
A fairly major hissy fit.
The birds will not sit properly, they keep spinning upsidedown and hang moodily underneath the perch instead of jauntily on top.

Eventually, I manage to get three birds to remain upright, and the twig to remain straight(ish).
I hang the mobile from my bedroom light and I do enjoy it very much.
But it doesn't last long.
J keeps knocking it when he is taking his clothes off.
I keep knocking it when I am making the bed.
And because it is so delicately balanced, it's hard to put it right once it's been knocked off kilter.
Then one day last week, the Kaffe Fassett fabric bird fell off completely, so I took it as a sign that the Twig Project had had it's day.

But I do still love the birds, and they have now flown around the house to perch.

They are happier this way.
And so am I.

Edited to add :: please don't let my own crappy mobile-making skills put you off this project! The free bird pattern is there in the sidebar of the Spool Sewing blog, and the birds are FABULous to make, so do give them a go. I am fully intending to give the mobile thing another try too (because I do still LOVE the idea of it). Only I think I need to use more twigs in a configuration because I suddenly realised maybe this is where I went wrong, trying to balance just one twig? Any advice or mobile-making experience welcome!

Comments

[swing machine]

that is so funny and butifull

[Khanh]

Hi Lucy, I love reading your blog. The colors you put together really enlightened me. I look forward to reading your blog. Question: Where did you get your twig trees that you have on your mantel? I love the way you decorated it mini hearts. It's so lovely.

Thank you.

[Susanne Ferreira]

Hello lucy, Just found your BLOG in the 2012 New Year!! I can relate to your photos as I too see the world that way, colours, textures, groupings etc. As I happen to read some of your older posts I found we had something else in common; the love and frustration of trying to male the Spool Bird
mobile. LOL, most of my birds are sitting in a basket waiting until their day to be added /attached/glued or sewn to a branch. This year I will try again.

[Leesy]

I hot glued mini clothespins to the bottom of the birds to look like feet, making adjusting on the twigs/brances oh so much easier. Balancing the twigs is a nightmare I'm still working on.

[Lace hearts]

You see, these are addictive, you norty person. You shouldn't have posted. But I put two and two together when stopping by LavenderHouse's blog this morning, that it's your fault my house is such a mess this week! lol! Thanks for such a lovely blog - you're great fun to read. Caroline x

[do you mind if i knit]

That's very entertaining Lucy! It looked fabulous as a mobile................ must have been great to wake up to those birdies every morning while it lasted! Could you do a sculpture piece instead............ I mean have them all sitting on the twig, which is propped up by a stick, with a driftwood base, and then this sits on a window sill?
Or maybe you're well and trully fed up with them by now!!!!! XX

[cathleen]

I think your birdies are sweet little twitties, but what I would really like to do is jump into that cute little box of buttons and play.

[simone]

I think the birdies look great perched among the foliage!

[Mariana]

Thanks to share this idea! I agree with you about the
Chain-Of-Influence, it¡s amazing! I think I will try this project too, it seems so nice.

[Julia]

Hi Lucy, me again. I was just wondering if you ever got my email with my address on for your giveaway? My email plays up constantly and I suddenly remembered that I won your giveaway and then went into panic mode about whether you'd sent it and it hadn't arrived, or you thought I hadn't bothered sending my address, or that I was just plain rude and never replied. Let me know.
Julia xx

[Rosie Graham]

Great post, had me laughing as usual, try 3 twigs, give it a bit of balance. I like to embroider those birds and stuff em with lavender. It's a great pattern.
Rosie

[Kali @ Poppy Lane]

haha...loved this post, and the birdies..they're quirky and tweet!
xo, kali

[Maddy]

Mmmmm those things always look Oh So Easy. Personally I think they used a lot of smoke and mirrors. It does LOOK like the birds are just randomly placed here and there but I think it was really a very carefully measured, gram for gram, feet of absolute precision placement.

You did a trerrific job and I love them all over the house ... very tweet!! (sorry :D)

[julia]

Burn the twigs on the fire and perch the birds around the house! Great post Lucy, had me giggling as usual!
Julia xx

[Andrea]

I think that they are fab, and as already said I think that they would be a great Christmas idea! Def keep going with trying new ways to do it! Have a good week-end! Andrea x

[periwinkle]

As lovely as these birds are maybe you should get some christmassy ones ready to be perched in the christmas tree or to peep out of the mistletoe or even a bird wreath -- ok I'll shut up now :-)
lisa x

[Anna]

Oh you do make me laugh! They are fabulous, really good fun. You have the patience of a saint!! I love the box of buttons as well..xx

[Kitschen Pink]

Twigs are tricksy things. I recommend you go into the woods with digital scales, a tape measure and an axe and do a proper job next time! t.xx

[Jennifer]

how cute are they!!!...even w/o the perch, they are really nice just sat around the house!...well done!

[http://lavenderhouse.typepad.com]

I really should do this project considering Jasper's addiction to twigs and sticks (well branches that we drag home from the woods!)We once did quite a good project involving paper parrots that we put in our lounge window. That was lots of fun. I love birds and butterflies. Sad muppet that I am.

Love Emma x

[Alice C]

The little blue bird looks so sad and abandoned as if it knows that it got the poor deal in life and all its friends are having twiggy fun. How could you be so crewel?

[kim]

Oh no after all that work (I was waiting for you to say that the cat got them, that's what would have happened in this house!). I love them, glad you've kept them and you can just keep moving them around, shame about the twigs, are you going to try again I wonder?
Kimx

[Lesley]

Well, I just love the birds on their own so wouldnt worry too much at least you tried! I am just impressed you could make the birds - I cannot even sew a button on :-D
Lesley x

[crazyjane]

oooh! I saw this project and fancied having a go myself, however I think your version of events made it much funnier. and your birds do look very sweet, where ever they perch.
love your button tin , they look like thoose little sweets, the sherbert ones in the twist clear packets, buggar, what are they called?!!!! oh well , friday brain meltdown has struck!!

[Yvonne]

So cute it's a shame about the twigs but they still look lovely just perched around the house. I might try the pattern, I'm always looking for new things to sew!
Yvonne